Understanding & Identifying Bias

Definition of Bias Bias: (noun) a prejudice or strong opinion about something [slanted view] To be biased: influencing others with your opinions Can be intentional (on purpose) or unintentional (not on purpose, not aware of) Everyone is biased at some time

Neutral to be impartial and not express one’s opinions

In what type of writing would an author intentionally be biased? to purposefully influence or express one’s opinions omit facts or important information manipulate use past experiences Propaganda In what type of writing would an author intentionally be biased?

Unintentional unaware of own feelings and that he or she is influencing others might not have all the facts, ignorance

Look for bias in… political ads persuasive essays media/advertisements editorials/reviews anecdotes novels (author bias) science religion politics debates & arguments

Identify Bias analyze the argument (What is the author’s main point?) look for: Loaded words, Connotation, Word choice 1st person pronouns (I, Me, My, We, Us, Our) Opinions (The awesome Falcons won last night) Faulty reasoning or holes in the argument (Are there unanswered questions or missing information?)

Biased language Loaded Language- words or phrases that are intended to inspire emotion in the listener or reader Ex: divorce, healthy, safe, peaceful, racist, murder, steal, refreshing, death, glittering, clean, dirty, new, forced Senate kills new bill. A refreshing change in government. Congress forces health bill.

Biased language Denotation is the dictionary definition of a word. LINK Connotation is the implied meaning of a word. Words can have a positive, neutral, or negative connotation EX: clever and sly have the same denotation. However, which has a negative connotation?

Positive, negative or neutral connotation Positive, negative or neutral connotation? Put the words in each group in order from the positive to negative 1.) Childlike, Youthful, Childish, Young, 2.) Relaxed, Lazy, Lackadaisical, Easy-going 3.) Slim, Skinny, Scrawny, Thin 4.) Cheap, Frugal, Miserly, Economical 5.) Young, Immature, Juvenile, Youthful 6.) Inquisitive, Interested, Curious, Convivial 7.) Confident, Secure, Proud, Egotistical 8.) Talkative, Conversational, Chatty, Nosy Come up with your own pair or group of words that have a similar meaning but different connotation

Car name (Connotation) Features of the car do NOT MATCH the car’s name- (Denotation- the definition does not match the “feeling” of the car’s name) Draw a picture if you have time

Identify Bias Compare the bias to your own opinions: How are they similar and different? If you are still unsure, you need to do further research and investigation before making an informed decision

Identify Bias Examples In each of the following examples identify: Is the piece neutral, intentionally biased, or unintentionally biased? How do you know? What clues are provided? What is your own opinion?

Identify Bias Examples Identify * Clues * Your opinion Example 1: “I have never wanted to be a part of the cheerleading squad. Those girls wear ridiculously short skirts and all they do is yell and scream out chants all the time.”

Identify Bias Examples Identify * Clues * Your opinion Example 2: “Dolphins are fish that are quite friendly. Not all fish are as smart or gentle with humans.”

Identify Bias Examples Identify * Clues * Your opinion Example 3: “Recently, scientists split the African elephants into two species: forest elephants and savannah elephants. Scientists argued for many years that these two separate species exist and now they have genetic proof from a comparison of their mitochondrial DNA.”

Group Discussion & Presentation Your group will choose a topic from the list. Each member in the group must write one paragraph about the assigned topics. Decide which member will write from an intentional bias, unintentional bias, or neutral point of view (Groups with 4 or more members will choose which role to repeat). When everyone is finished, share within the group. Discuss your own personal feelings about the topics. Be ready with one example to share with the class. **When writing, be sure to provide clues about your assigned role.

Group Topics white milk vs. chocolate milk Underage smoking McDonald’s vs. Burger King French fries vegetarian vs. omnivore Pepsi vs. Coke sneakers vs. flip-flops rap vs. country music summer vs. winter piercings vs. tattoos Underage smoking Texting in class Chewing gum in school Underage drinking Music with strong language Littering at lunch Using sun block Censoring music and books